Can Muslim Women Work Outside The Home In Islam? A Conservative Viewpoint

By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 15 February 2024 Muslim Women's Work Outside the Home in Islam Main Points: 1. Women can work outside the home as long as they adhere to Islamic principles. 2. Women can work in areas like teaching other women, providing medical care, and other jobs consistent with their character, such as managing kindergartens, girls' schools, social foundations, charity organizations etc. 3. Before working outside the home, married women need to get their husband's consent. 4. Winning the consent of the husband does not imply that women are less valuable than males; it is a sign of a noble lady and a harmonious marital life. 5. It is imperative that she does not engage in any work after marriage that could jeopardize her rights or the rights of her spouse, children, or home. 6. She must conduct herself appropriately, wear the right hijab, and avoid any circumstance that could lead to her interacting or spending time alone with non-Mahram men. 7. Both males and females are commanded to lower their eyes to maintain a modest and dignified communal code of behaviour. ---- (From Files) ------ It is incorrect to argue that the woman must be made to stay at home and be a housewife in the strictest sense. As long as they adhere to Islamic principles, Islam does not forbid Muslim women from working in trade, industry, agriculture, or other public sectors. It is undoubtedly an honourable mission and one of the most essential obligations of women to be housewives, raise children, and mentor them to become the noble part of the next generation, but they are not limited to doing this alone. There are various circumstances in which women can depart for work. It is lawful for a woman to work if, for example, she has no one to support her financially and she needs to work to support herself and her expenses. For a variety of reasons, including poverty, illness, or the absence of family, some women find themselves without resources. In these situations, a woman must take care of herself while adhering to the Islamic guidelines. Another instance is when the community needs her expertise in areas like teaching other women, providing them with medical care, and other jobs that are best left to women because assigning such work to men would have more negative effects than positive ones. But whatever a woman does, as long as it is not against religious prohibition, she should be permitted to carry out her work in a way that is consistent with her character. Examples of such labour include managing kindergartens, girls' schools, social foundations, charity organisations that support women and children, and similar establishments. But before working anywhere outside the home, married women need to get their husband's consent. Winning consent by consulting with one's spouse does not imply that women are less valuable than males; rather, it is a sign of a noble lady and a happy marriage. In addition, she must attend to the crucial matter of not engaging in any work after marriage that could jeopardise her rights or the rights of her spouse, children, or home. Moreover, she must conduct herself appropriately, wear the right hijab, and avoid any circumstance that could lead to her interacting or spending time alone with non-Mahram men. During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Four Companions, Muslim women observed the hijab and practiced modesty while working in all permissible fields and occupations. Their capacity to perform their tasks was never hampered by this behaviour. This is corroborated by both the realities of these past eras and the realities of the present. Many Muslim women are seen wearing Hijab and carrying out their allotted tasks without trouble or hindrance. Their right to wear the hijab does not impede their accomplishment. (From Files) ------ What is the Islamic Position on the Hijab? In Islam, Allah the Almighty commands both males and females to lower their eyes to maintain a modest and dignified communal code of behaviour. Both men and women must speak in a dignified tone, maintain proper demeanour, and dress modestly. Depending on the choice of matter, modest Muslim female apparel could be a Hijab, Niqab, Khimar, or Burqa. Muslim women are obligated to veil the concealable parts of their bodies (Satr-e-Aura), which they do by wearing Hijab, Niqab, Khimar, or even Burqa, depending on their personal preference. The command to veil was given for the first time in Surah Al-Ahzab. Allah says in this verse: “...and when you ask the wives of the Prophet for anything to use, ask for it from behind a curtain [hijab]; this is purer for your hearts and for their hearts” (33:53). The word Hijab is used in this verse to refer to any curtain that covers the concealable parts of the body, and the rationale for this is that the veil can provide purity and modesty to the hearts. Following that, the Holy Qur'an revealed the command of the Hijab (veiling) in verses 30 and 31 of Surah An-Noor. The males were addressed first, followed by the women. The following are the two verses: Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran, “Command the Muslim men to keep their gaze low and to protect their private organs; that is much purer for them; indeed Allah is Aware of their deeds.” (24:30) “And command the Muslim women to keep their gaze low and to protect their chastity, and they should not expose their adornment [Zeenat] except what is apparent, and to keep the cover wrapped over their bosoms; and not to reveal their adornment except to their own husbands or fathers or husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their husbands’ sons, or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, or women of their religion, or the bondwomen they possess, or male servants provided they do not have manliness or such children who do not know of women’s nakedness, and not to stamp their feet on the ground so that their hidden adornment be known; and O Muslims, all of you turn in repentance together towards Allah, in the hope of attaining success.” (Quran 24:31) The Arabic word Yaguddu is derived from Ghadd, which means to draw down, lower, or keep one's eyes down, as enjoined in the verse, which means to turn one's gaze away from something that Islam forbids one from seeing. For men, concealable parts (Satr) include all parts of the body from the navel to the knees, whereas, for women, concealable parts include the entire body except the face and palms. The act of a man looking at a woman's Satr or a woman looking at a man's Satr is strictly forbidden because it violates the Quranic verses' exhortation to ‘lower their gaze’. It is for this reason that Muslim women are obligated to cover themselves appropriately as prescribed by Islam. It is for this reason that some women wear veils like the Niqab, Hijab, headscarves, or Abaya. Allah then says, “...and they should not expose their adornment [Zeenat] except what is apparent”. According to Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud, this refers to a woman’s outer shawl. When a Muslim woman has to emerge from her house out of necessity, she should conceal her entire body. Non-Maharim individuals will only see her outer shawl at that point. Accordingly, the Hijab is a concept based on seeking Allah Almighty's pleasure via obedience to His holy orders, rather than patriarchal oppression or a man-made societal system. The hijab is one of the obligatory acts of Islam, and it is widely observed as a mainstream Muslim practise throughout the world. For more details, read this article, Hijab Controversy: Why Do Muslim Women Wear Hijab And Niqab?) (From Files) ------ Islam allows women to work outside the home as long as they adhere to the previously stated guidelines. For example, the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) of Allah used to work from home. For instance, in addition to doing other household chores like cooking, cleaning, and tending to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), they used to dye their own garments and tan hides. The Prophet's wife Hazrat Aishah used to create the herbal medicine that his doctors prescribed. Along with her housework, she used to give it to Allah's Messenger directly and tend to him. As the Prophet's daughter, Hazrat Fatimah used to grind grain by hand in the quern until her hands grew swelled, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not object to it. Hazrat Asma bint Abi Bakr, the wife of Az-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam, worked very hard both at home and outside the home. She used to feed the horse and camel and look after her husband and children. In addition, the Prophet once saw her gathering fodder by walking three kilometres from Madinah to her husband's field, and he did not object to her work. This implies that women can work outside the home in Islam. ----- Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. 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